For the second year in a row, Coast Reporter’s classifieds section was named the best in the province by the BC and Yukon Community Newspaper Association (BCYCNA).
The gold award was presented to classified supervisor Shelley Alleyne at the 2016 Ma Murray Awards on May 7 at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond.
The award went to Alleyne and her classified production team: Kelly Shvartsman, Heather Till, Dimitri Shvartsman, Paul Dwyer and Ashley Doyle.
The win was the 11th in a row for Coast Reporter’s classifieds, and the fifth gold.
“Awesome job,” wrote the judges. “Great local feel. At Your Service and Call the Experts sections are brilliant.”
Coast Reporter also won silver in the General Excellence category, edged out of the top spot for the second consecutive year by Pique Newsmagazine from Whistler.
“A slick, clean publication with tightly-written local content,” the judges wrote. “The Coast Reporter is a beautiful community newspaper with excellent local features and high production quality. Strong community news and op-ed sections. This is the full package.”
In individual awards, graphic designer Ashley Doyle was awarded bronze for best collaborative ad design for her Elite Travel ad, “Wish You were Here,” which the judges said, “Really sells ‘travel’ well!”
Publisher Peter Kvarnstrom said the Coast Reporter team is very proud of the significant recognition bestowed by BCYCNA.
“In a challenging time for our industry, it is critical that we engage our readers and community with strong journalism, great design and compelling advertising in every edition,” Kvarnstrom said. “Our team and our community come together every week with a great community paper.”
The community’s strong support for the paper’s classified section, he added, is deeply appreciated, particularly at a time when online options are creating immense pressure on the classified business.
“We take our role of service to our community very seriously and the judges’ recognition of that is very rewarding,” he said.
The BCYCNA is a non-profit membership organization representing 108 community newspapers throughout B.C. and the Yukon, with a combined readership of more than 1.5 million.
